PM Netanyahu with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken Photo by: GPO/Haim Zach
At the start of the expanded meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked Secretary of State Blinken for his statement: ‘We are here; we are not going anywhere’.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Kirya in Tel Aviv,
At the start of the expanded meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu thanked Secretary of State Blinken for his statement: ‘We are here; we are not going anywhere’.
Also participating in the meeting were Foreign Affairs Minister Eli Cohen, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, the Director of the National Security Council, the Prime Minister’s Military Secretary, the Israeli Ambassador to the US and the Prime Minister’s Foreign Policy Adviser. Among those attending for the American side were the Acting US Ambassador to Israel, the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and the Diplomatic Adviser.
Afterwards, Prime Minister Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Blinken will meet privately and then issue statements to the media.
Following the statements, there will be an additional expanded meeting with the participation of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, National Unity Chairman MK Benny Gantz and MK Gadi Eisenkot.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken: “Just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed. And Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today at the joint statements with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken:
“Mr. Secretary, my good friend Tony, thank you for your important visit here today. Thank you, thank you President Biden and thank you to the American people for your incredible support for Israel in our war against the barbarians of Hamas. I thank you in English. I want to thank you in Hebrew as well.
I want to thank Secretary of State Blinken, President Biden and the American people for their tremendous support in our war against the barbarians of Hamas.
Mr. Secretary, you come here to a nation that is hurting, a nation of fighters, a nation of lions, a nation that is determined to defeat the forces of evil around us. Each and every hour we hear more stories of horror and stories of heroism. The stories of horror say everything about them and the stories of heroism say everything about us. And our heroism will win.
Mr. Secretary, your visit is another tangible example of America’s unequivocal support for Israel. Hamas has shown itself to be an enemy of civilization: the massacring of young people in an outdoor music festival; the butchering of entire families; the murder of parents in front of their children and the murder of children in front of their parents; the burning of people alive; beheading; the kidnapping of a young boy, not only kidnapped, molested, hurt, attacked; and the sickening display of celebrating these horrors, the celebration and glorification of evil.
President Biden was absolutely correct in calling this sheer evil. Hamas is ISIS and just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed. And Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated.
They should be spit out from the community of nations. No leader should meet them, no country should harbor them, and those that do should be sanctioned.
Tony, my friend, I say to you, I say to all of us, there will be many difficult days ahead. But I have no doubt that the forces of civilization will win and the reason that’s true is because we understand what is the first prerequisite of victory, it’s what you just said in our meeting: moral clarity. This is a time, a particular time, a special time, that we must stand tall, proud and united against evil.
Tony, you are taking that stand. America is taking that stand. Thank you for being here today. Thank you, America for standing with Israel today, tomorrow and always.”